To Have And To Hold
by ataleoffiction
Summary: A continuation of the episode "On My Way".  The Gleeks learn about Quinn's accident. Santana tries to push Rachel closer to Quinn.
1. Chapter 1

**To Have And To Hold**

Author's Note: Yeah, yeah. _On My Way_ continuation fic, everyone's doing it. I've got a zombie story to update, and I'm a tryin' but this just jumped at me, so I had to strike while the mood hit. I'm not much for writing, but I can promise to try my best.

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><p><em>Finn struts into the holding area at the justice of the peace, flanked by the parental units of the Berry-Hudmel family, with a happy, but dopey grin on his face. Puck, Mike, Sam, Rory and Artie fall in line behind them as they pass Mr. Schue reclining on the gaudy lounge chair and its red vinyl upholstery.<em>

_Mercedes is the first to notice him. "Finn, out! You can't see the bride before the wedding."_

"_I... I've already seen her.'_

"_But that's bad luck," Tina nods beside her._

_Rachel's head flicks from Finn, to Tina. She lifts her hand to signal it's okay. "That's fine."  
><em>

_A worried look crosses Finn's face. He takes a small breath before waiting again. "Rachel, we gotta go right now or we're gonna lose our slot."_

"_Can we please just wait a couple more minutes for Quinn, please," Rachel clasps her hands together, slowly releasing them as she pleads with Finn. She'd be damned if she got married and Quinn wasn't by her side._

"_It's now or never."_

_The little songstress toys with her fingers as she contemplates her next moves. Kurt is sitting atop the sofa behind her, with a bored, Brittany-esque look on his face. He shot a look to Burt and Hiram as they whispered to one another, and then again to Leroy as he joined in on the conversation. Hopefully, they're plotting out a better idea than the ill-conceived reverse psychology plan; maybe a heart attack, or a seizure, to grab everyone's attention.._

_It's surprising, to Finn Hudson most of all, when Rachel turns her back to her soon-to-be husband, and picks up her iPhone. She re-reads Quinn's last message before quickly typing out one of her own. _

_**WHERE ARE YOU?**_

_Before turning back to her dearly beloved, Rachel hands her phone over to Santana, who promptly stuff it into her cleavage next to a similar white iPhone 4S. A tiny smile crept itself to Rachel's lips as she wondered just how much room there was in between Santana's enlarged bosom. Dr. Rosenthal certainly did excellent work._

. . . . . . .

**Bzzt!**

It must have been the seventh time they'd heard the phones buzzing against Santana's chest in the short five minutes of the ceremony. The Justice of the Peace did not look amused, and neither did Finn. The boy was trying to smile, for his bride and his guests, but grew increasingly agitated with each call either Santana's phone or Rachel's phone received. His ring weighed heavily on his finger, as he awaited the last few moments of the wedding.

Actually, the last one may have been Brittany's.

"Do you, Rachel Berry, take Finn Hudson, as your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I..." Rachel's turned hesitantly towards the small gathering of friends and family, to the decidedly _not_ happy faces of her own fathers, Burt _or_ Carol. She knows now that they really did not support the decision to get married. Perhaps Quinn was right all along. Eighteen and still in high school wasn't always too young to be married, but Rachel realized she and Finn were much more immature than they'd deluded themselves to be. Where would they live once married? How could they afford to be in New York when Finn had virtually no prospects in the world except for working at Hummel Tires & Lube?

A squawk from the audience breaks Rachel from her reverie. Out of everyone gathered, it seems Sue Sylvester was the only one brash, or maybe uncaring, enough to have answered their phone during the wedding ceremony. Funnily, Rachel thought it would have been Santana. Sue raises a hand in apology.

"I'm - I'm sorry, your honor. I didn't mean to interrupt." Sue waves for the Justice of the Peace to continue, but it's clear she hasn't ended the call with the voice on the other end of the line. Santana and Brittany's eyes shift as they both pay a little more attention to their cheerleading coach. Nothing really spooked her and, while she was prone to nasty, rage-filled outbursts, they were nothing like this. She almost sounded... worried.

But that was unlike Sue Sylvester.

The JP closed his eyes and let out a deep, long sigh. They were already 10 minutes behind schedule, and now these interruptions? It was like something out of a TV show. "Alright. The short, short version."

He turned to Finn, "Do you?"

"Yes!" Finn nodded furiously. He was even more enthusiastic the second time around, without stumbling over his wedding vows in front of everyone.

Once again, the JP turned to Rachel, his brow even more creased as he spoke. "Do you?"

And, once again, they were interrupted by a loud, strange noise coming from Sue's direction. This time it sounded like a phone clattering against the linoleum flooring, complete with a 6 foot free fall from beside Sue's ear.

"San..." Brittany quickly whispered to the girl beside her. The word was muffled as Brittany tried to keep her mouth from moving as much as possible, but Santana could hear her clearly enough.

"Coach! What the hell?" Ahh, yes. That Lopez charm. Santana almost regretted not questioning her more tactfully, once she saw the tears spilling from Sue's eyes. She would have sworn the only way they'd get a reaction from Sue Sylvester like that would be if her sister Jean died. But that'd already happened. Mr. Schue tried to lay a comforting hand against Sue's shoulder, but it was quickly brushed off. "Coach, what's going on?"

Sue removed her spectacles, trying to wipe her eyes clear using her free hand as she approached the center of the group. "Q got into a car accident on the way here. That was Judy Fabray on the phone. Quinn's being airlifted to St. Rita's. She may not make it."

Cries of shock and sadness erupted within the little, enclosed room.

"Holy fucking shit!" Santana's cries drew everyone's attention, as she scrolled through the missed calls and text messages on both her and Rachel's phones. '**ON MY WAY'**. That was the last message Rachel had received from Quinn. Then there were the missed calls: from Mrs. Fabray, the police, Mrs. Fabray again. Santana's own phone had a similar call log, but she was distracted as Rachel fell to her knees before her.

Finn bent down to look at her. Tears spilled down Rachel's cheeks, mascara dripping, pooling at her jaw as it ruined the rest of her makeup. It was the oddest sight. Rachel was crying, but no sounds made it past her lips, and he'd always known Rachel Berry to be a loud crier. Brittany and Santana knelt down beside Rachel as well, as they took in the girl's state of distress. Finn was the only one to speak though, "Rach, are you okay?"

The girl tried to blink through her tears as she frowned up at Finn. Of course she wasn't okay. Not a person in the world drops to the ground and balls their eyes out when they're okay. All she wanted was to have Quinn by her side on her wedding day, and it may never happen.

Or maybe it just wouldn't happen the way she thought.

"Hosp-" Rachel gulped, trying to get out the words, "Hospital."

"Wait, what? You haven't even said I do!" A frown comes over Finn's face; brows furrow, lips scrunch together... in truth, it looks like he's angry and constipated. Angrily constipated. "It'll just take a sec."

"I don't care! I need... I have to see her." The Berry men looked to one another excitedly. Through the rather unfortunate life-threatening car crash, they'd found the wedding that plagued their nightmares may not finish, as well as the exciting prospect that Hiram and Leroy's little girl may be leaving her fiance at the altar because of _another woman._

"You don't mean that. I told you Rach, it's now or never." It paused the brunette as she tried to get back on her feet.

The decision was made as Rachel tried to crawl towards the door. "Then it's never."

"Britt-Britt."

Rachel was stopped by the soft, gentle hand of Brittany S. Pierce against her should. Turning towards the ditzy blonde, Santana gave Rachel a small shove and rolled her into Brittany's waiting arms. A muted "eep" was possibly uttered as Rachel found herself into the dancer's grasp. She was surprised at how deceptively strong the girl was, since Brittany quickly stood and practically jogged out the door, carrying Rachel bridal style fittingly enough.

With Santana at their heels, Brittany stopped in front of two matching BMW 335is convertibles - one silver metallic, the other a bright crimson red. Rachel sniffles as her attention is caught by the movement of the retractable hardtop of the red BMW folding in on itself. She quickly figures them to be Brittany and Santana's vehicles. She'd never seen them before, let alone ridden in either one.

"I'll drive," is all Rachel can hear before she's unceremoniously dumped into the passenger's seat. Brittany easily vaults over the door and into the back seat. Before they can buckle their seatbelts, the tires are squealing against the asphalt as the trio head towards St. Rita's Medical Center. The rest of the Glee kids aren't far behind as they pile into Kurt's Navigator, Puck's pick-up truck, and Sue's Renault Le Car. "I better be right about you two."

"What?" Rachel head snaps towards their driver. Santana only mutters, and even Rachel's well trained ears can't make out what she says over the air whipping around their heads.

Brittany leans over her shoulder, with a big grin on her face. "She said there's an ice cream sale at Bloomingdale's!"

Rachel smiles. She's almost positive that is **not** what Santana said.

Burt and Carol flank Finn as he runs through the lobby of the courthouse, screaming as he struggles to pull the clip-on bow tie from his neck. "Rachel! Racheeeel."

"It's no use pal, she can't hear you." Burt lays a calming hand on Finn's shoulder, but it quickly falls as Finn steams forward.

Carol takes a few steps back, in order to steer clear of Finns's angry, oafish steps. A strangled cry escapes his throat, as he begins to pace the room, fists clenched tightly against his sides. In his anger, he turns and kicks at a chair, knocking down a lamp as it hits as small table on the way down.

The Justice of the Peace frowns at Finn, as Carol bends down to straighten her son's mess.

_Who the fuck is this kid? _


	2. Chapter 2

**To Have And To Hold**

Chapter 2

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><p>Rachel ran through the hallways of St. Rita's Medical Center, stumbling along in her wedding dress and heels as Brittany tried to keep up with Santana. The task was proving difficult, with Brittany's vision filled with tears, nearly sending them into a potted plant. Fortunately, Santana had slowed enough that her pink dress was always in view as they raced towards the ICU.<p>

But Quinn wouldn't even be there when they arrived. They'd learned that much from a nurse in the ER who'd guided them towards ICU, where a room was being prepped for Quinn's eventual return from surgery. Coach Sylvester had told them she'd been airlifted to the hospital, which seemed bad enough when an ambulance wasn't good enough to get her urgent medical attention. Life Flight, they called it. But in the simple 20 minute drive - or 14 minutes, the way Santana tore through the road from the courthouse - to find out she'd already been admitted into surgery? She knew things had to be really bad, if that were the case.

Santana quickly slowed as she neared the entryway to the ICU, flagging down a nurse to try to get them access. Brittany watches the exchange, and it becomes clear to her that the nurse and Santana know one another, with how quickly they're ushered to Quinn's room. The first thing they see is the crying figure of Judy Fabray. It's the first time the girls have ever seen her makeup out of sorts.

At the clack of their heels, Judy turns towards them, dabbing a tissue to her eyes. She's surprised, but comforted, to see who's leading the way. "Oh, Santana honey, you're here! I kept calling, and.." she sniffs hard, t keep her nose from dribbling. "Oh, my Quinnie."

She immediately latches onto Santana, arms around her shoulders and she sobs into her dress. As the former bridesmaid circles Judy's waist, she allows herself to finally cry, having tried so hard to keep it together during the drive over. It almost keeps her distracted from how close Mrs. Fabray's face was to her breasts, but the thought disappears as Brittany slips behind Judy, mimicking a similar hold on the older woman. They each pick a different shoulder to rest upon, as the cheerleaders whisper their reassurance that Quinn will pull through okay. The scene is thoughtful and intimate, and Rachel is starting to feel incredibly out of place. She chooses to keep quiet for once, and slips into a chair in the corner without drawing attention to herself.

It's only when a doctor comes striding into the room, that Rachel takes the chance to alert the other three.

"Oh, ahem, hello!" She wipes at her eyes, clearing the tears as everyone turns to the doorway.

"Santiago?" "What's up, doc?" "Papi?"

While Brittany stays planted to Quinn's mother, Santana launches herself at the man, arms wrapped around his neck as he uses his right hand to lift her up, off the ground. While Santana's feet dangle almost a foot off the floor, Rachel takes a good, long look at whom she assumes to be Dr. Santiago Lopez. He's quite handsome, if she were to be honest. Perhaps as tall as Finn, but with a physique bordering between Sam Evans and Noah Puckerman, his body seems much trimmer and athletic than the one possessed by the boy she left at the altar not even half an hour ago. Aside from the trimmed goatee, his face appeared to be the male equivalent of Santana: sharp nose, pronounced cheekbones, and similarly shaped eyes. Although, the glance and smile he stole away to Rachel was much kinder than anyone would normally see coming from the latina. _Much_ kinder.

Still finding himself trapped in his daughter's embrace, Dr. Lopez took a few steps and took Judy's hand in his own. "Judy, I'm so sorry."

"Is - is she?" Judy sniffed, leaving the question in the air.

"Well, I've managed to get Quinn assigned to my care when she comes out of surgery. But, I'll be honest, it's not good. The report says she'd run a stop sign and was t-boned on the driver's side; the driver of the truck states he was going under the speed limit at the time, but that's still more than 50 mph against that little Volkswagen of hers."

Dr. Lopez continues to relay Quinn's condition, revealing a broken femur, several broken ribs, and fractured vertebrae, but the girl's find it hard to pay attention once the words _traumatic brain injury_, _intubated_,and _cerebral hemorrhage_ come into play. One of Santana's shoes falls to the ground and Brittany peers over Mrs. Fabray's shoulder to see her girlfriend shaking against her father's chest. Rachel's eyes are shut so tightly, the blonde cheerleader wonders if she's trying to drive away unhappy images in her mind. From her extensive knowledge of feline related medical conditions, Brittany's come across the terms before, and knows just how unpleasant and how poor the prognosis can be.

"I know Quinn's been given Mannitol to help reduce the swelling, but the hematoma was just too large. Anything bigger than 3 centimeters is simply too big to deal with without surgery. She's in good hand though, Judy. Okay?" She nods to him, though her eyes are intently focused on her shoes. "Dr. Cooley's one of the best neurosurgeons in the state."

"I trust you, Santi." He wipes a tear from Judy's cheeks, and Rachel can't help but smile. She can only imagine Santana threatening to go all 'Lima Heights' on anyone that may have tried to call her Santi, but Dr. Lopez only appeared to be fond it.

He looked at them all. "Do you girls want to go home and change? Quinn will most likely be in the OR for the next few hours, it may do you all some good to grab a snack and prepare for the night. I'll make sure you can all stay past visiting hours."

Naturally, they all decline.

"I'm certain I can persuade my fathers to pick me up a change of clothing from home, along with some vegan-friendly food choices. Although, I'm not certain I should be staying here when everyone else followed us and is undoubtedly concerned about Quinn's welfare as well. Not to mention the fact the remainder of Quinn's... your... family-"

"Rachel, it's alright dear. You're welcome to stay," Judy quickly interrupts her. Or not so quickly. She almost thinks she can hear Brittany trying to say something, but quickly dismisses it. It could be nothing but words of encouragement to herself, or something more preposterous like, 'I've been in a vegan friendly bar, and got six phone numbers.'

Not worth it.

Dr. Lopez quickly sets Santana back onto her feet and presses a kiss to her forehead. "Your mother made black bean and sweet potato enchiladas tonight, cariño. I'll have her bring some for you girls, alright? And a change of clothes for the both of you."

"Yay!" Brittany jumps from behind Judy's slight form. She turns to Rachel in explanation, "Mama Lopez makes the best enchiladas in the whole wide world. Totally vegan, Rach, you're definitely trying it."

_She called me Rach!_ Biting her lip, it's hard for Rachel to keep from smiling to herself. In just a few days' time, she'd gone from largely being an outcast to Brittany and Santana's little clique, to actually being _welcome_. It was a change she feared would never come, until she'd hit her dreams of becoming a famous Broadway actress and her high school acquaintances flocked back to be part of her E! True Hollywood Story.

A light touch of her shoulder brings the little diva from her thoughts. She turns her head to see Santana staring at her.

"I'll just have my mom bring a set of clothes for you. You can borrow them for tonight. I need extra stuff anyway."

Rachel nods, just after Santana jumps out of the room to chase down her father. She supposes "no" was never really an option.


End file.
